“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection… in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:10 – 11
Before Paul was converted to Christianity, he believed he had attained eternal life through other means: his circumcision, his pedigree as a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, his position as a Pharisee and his works. However, things changed on the road to Damascus and he realized, to his amazement, that one is saved by simple faith through grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. He spent the remainder of his life pouring into others this simple premise.
In Philippians 3:10 – 11, Paul acknowledges there is power in the resurrection of Jesus. What kind of power you may ask?
The power of Christ’s resurrection has three benefits:
1. The power of Christ’s resurrection is proof of our justification.
Justification is the verdict of God that, even though we have sinned, we are righteous before Him. It is the verdict that God sees no sin in us because it has been completely wiped away through the righteousness of Christ. Paul supports this in his letter to the Romans (4:25) where he speaks of Jesus “who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.” God literally placed our sins on Christ at the cross where He suffered the torments of death and hell to become victorious on our behalf. What a glorious love the Father has for us!
2. The power of Christ’s resurrection is the power of new life.
By nature, we are incapable of doing any good. Our hearts are inclined to evil. This depravity places us outside the joy of God’s fellowship and brings upon us His terrible wrath. However, Christ’s resurrection gives us new life, a life of obedience to God, of loving God and our neighbors. This life requires a fundamental transformation in the very depths of our spiritual being. The old life has been crucified with Christ, the new has been resurrected with Christ (Colossians 3:1).
3. The power of Christ’s resurrection assures us of eternity with God.
One day our bodies will be placed in the ground to return to dust, but our spirits will unite with a heavenly body to give us life everlasting with our Creator. God presents Jesus’ resurrection as a solemn pledge that He will also raise us up through Jesus Christ. Romans 8:11: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
To know the power of Jesus’ resurrection we must know Jesus. In Philippians 3:8 and 3:10 Paul reiterates his desire to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. This knowledge is not just intellectual, but a personal and deep affection to relate with Christ. We must know who He is and what He does as our Mediator, Reconciler, Forgiver, and Savior.
Those who know Jesus know the power of His resurrection. Those who know the power of His resurrection rest in the assurance of their salvation and eternal love of the Father.
Happy Resurrection Day!
Dave
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